George w



(No Model.)

G. W. BOWERS.

- LINE PASTENBR. No. 438,398. Patented Oct. 14, 1890; f

llllll-lllll &

WITNEEEEE:

NITED STATES PATENT QFFICE, I

GEORGE W. BOWVERS, OF SOMERVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LOUIS ERNST,OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LINE-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,398, dated October14, 1890.

Application filed February 8, 1890. Serial No. 339,723- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. BOWERS, of Somerville, in the county bfMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inLine-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a cheap, simple, convenient,and durable linefastener adapted for fastening temporarily IO one endportion of a clothes-line, hammockline, or a rope, so that such linewhen clamped or held therein shall be gripped very firmly and caused tohold more tightly upon the line when it is drawn with greater force inone direction,but easily released and removed when drawn in the oppositedirection; and it consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of the parts of the device, as hereinaftermore fullydescribed, and set forth in the claim.

Figure 1 represents a front side elevation of a line-fastenerconstructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view with theline held clamped in position therein. Fig.

3 represents a similar view of the opposite side of the same. Fig. 4represents a horizontal cross-section of the line-fastener with aportion of a line held in position therein.

A represents the main body portion of the fastener, consisting of avertical plate, one edge of which is provided with a projecting bearingB, having cast therein the head end of a fastening-screw O, theprojecting main portion of which is adapted to be screwed into a post,stud, fence, or wall of a building,

so as to secure the fastener firmly in the desired position for use. Asecond screw or nail may be driven in through a slot, hole, or notchopposite, so as to prevent the former one from unscrewing. This plate Ais also provided at its opposite edge with a projecting verticalbearing-lug D, against whichthe line to be fastened has a bearing whenheld thereto by the vertical sliding wedge E, which is corrugated uponits face side, so as to fit closely against the strands of the rope orline when raised up vertically. The lug and wedge contact with theopposite sides of the line when it is held in position, as shown. Thissliding wedge is caused to move somewhat obliquely to the bearing-faceof the lug D by means of the projecting guide-pieces F, which cause theupward movement of the wedge to approach the said bearing-lug D as theintervening line or rope moves slightly upward therein after the wedgehas been raised upward from its normal position when at rest, as shownin Fig. 1. The said wedge E is loosely held in contact with the face ofthe bearing-plate or main body portion A by ple horizontal side motionbeing imparted to the same without the necessity of drawing the unusedportion of the rope or line from a guide or opening or receiving-hole,as heretofore, thus avoiding the annoyance occasioned by-knots 0r kinksin the line or rope coming into contact with some part of the fastenerwhen removing it therefrom.

This fastener is more especially designed for holding and fastening thesurplus or free end of a clothes or hammock line, the main 8o portion ofwhich extends horizontally, and as the end portion is held and fastenedin a vertical position or at a right angle to the main portion of theline when in use a bight is produced on the line at the bend formed bythe fastener, thus partially releasing the wedge from too great strain,which might be liable to occur were the holding-wedge made to slidehorizontallyrorin the plane of the main portion of the line, asheretofore em- 0 ployed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is A line-fastenerconsisting of the vertical plate A, having a bearing B, provided with a9 5 fastening screw 0 and projecting guides F at one edge, and theopposite edge having a projecting vertical bearing-lug D, and thevertical sliding wedge E, held loosely against the said plate A b 1 arivet H, which passes 10) through the obliquely-vertical slot L, formedtherein, substantially as shown and described, as and for the purposesset forth.

GEORGE W. BOWERS. Witnesses:

SYLVENUS \VALKER. WILL AM H. PARRY.

